Jesse Funk
In the early ’90s, a hip Augsburg radio station set the pace—Jesse on the editorial team, quick on the beat and close to the scene. Then paths diverged. He opened his own nightclub and, as a sought-after DJ, lit up Ibiza’s hottest floors—El Divino, Privilege—and spun blissed-out sets at iconic chillout spots like the Savannah Sunset.
By 2000, brimming with ideas, he was ready for the next leap: launching his own music production. For the perfect creative counterbalance, he called the one pair of ears he trusted most—Bob. Together they founded boxbergstudios in Ibiza and back in Germany, explored different styles, and finally claimed the sound that felt like home: Chillout and House.
Bob Schwarz
Bob also cut his teeth at that Augsburg cult station in the early ’90s—an audio engineer with steady hands and a finely tuned ear. The two drifted apart for a while. In the meantime, Bob built his own recording studio and stayed busy as a professional musician.
When Jesse rang in 2000, everything clicked: two profiles, one vision. Between Ibiza sun and German roots, the boxbergstudios became a workshop of relentless creativity and craft. After testing multiple genres, they honed their signature and chose what moved them most: Chillout and House.
Nik Schwarz
Since Bob’s younger brother Nik stepped into Schwarz & Funk, he’s been the quiet force that keeps the engine humming—handling the management so Jesse and Bob can pour every watt of energy into the music. A sharp, hands-on music manager, he knows the business end to end and runs both a publishing arm and a record label grown from the boxbergstudios ecosystem.
And he’s not only strategy: Nik is a saxophonist, too—his lines slip through several Schwarz & Funk tracks, adding that warm, breathing glow that turns grooves into moments. He left a safe nine-to-five to play the long game—late nights, early calls, and the conviction to make a real dent in the scene—bridging vision and execution, turning ideas into releases and momentum into a catalog.
Joe T. Aykut
From the very beginning, Joe has been part of the Schwarz & Funk story—his unmistakable guitar tone weaving through countless tracks and becoming a quiet signature of the project. An exceptional guitarist and close friend, he picked up the instrument at 11, tore through innumerable bands, and took home the Augsburg Rock Award. Today he’s a sought-after session and studio player, with credits alongside Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, the Gipsy Kings, Barbara Tucker, and house producer J.C.A. in Ibiza.
Equally fluent on electric and acoustic, Joe brings a distinctive flair shaped by Middle Eastern influences. Beyond the studio, his composing work spans telecom trailers, spots for Italy’s Rai and Mon Chéri, and cues for film—among them the German productions Ein Leben (RTL), Kismet (ProSieben), and the Loveparade feature Be Angeled.